Universal shoe fixture for orthopedic attachments



14, 1945. N, ROSENTHAL 2,382,821 UNIVERSAL SHOE FIXTURE FOR ORTHOPEDIC ATTACHMENTS Filed March 20, 1945 Patented Aug. 14, 1945 umrso STATES PATENT" o ORTHOPEDIC ATTACHMENTS Nathan Rosenthal, Newton, Mass. ApplicationMarch 20, 1945, Serial No. 583,808

3 Claims. (o1. 36-85) My present invention is a novel and improved fixture to be secured to boots or shoes adapted to receive and engage detachable rods, braces, orthe like extending from the shoe upwardly to support braces for use by the wearer.

Such orthopedic attachments or braces are necessarily arranged for a, limited extent of pivotal or other movement to permit the action of the foot relatively with the brace, and are of special importance in cases of partial paralysis, injury to the knee or leg, infantile paralysis cases, or the like. V

Heretofore it has been customary to make a specialsocket-like member forattachment to a particular shoe, such device being especially made to fit the shoe to which it was to be fixed and to support the rods or braces in a pivotal manner. Owing to thedifierence and difiicultiesin first fitting shoes to the wearer andthen fitting such braces to the patient, it has heretofore been customary to have each socket member individually hammered out, made, fitted, and adjusted by hand to the particular shoe to which it has to be attached, and at the location deemed most advisable.

Such prior fixtures, therefore, have usually comprised a v tubular member to which were welded plates and frequently an entire heel plate extending from heel to shank of the shoe were thus built with the tubular socket member, involving an undue amount of weight and rendering such fixture extremely objectionable when a heel was to be attached over the same.

My present invention is directed to provide a type of fixture which can be universally adjusted to any width, size, or position of a shoe, readily equipping a shoe toreceive the brace rods.

My improved fixture is extremely light and strong and is so constructed and arranged as to be capable of quick and ready attachment to a shoe, and with relatively no interference with the subsequently heel-attaching operation.

Thus my improved type of fixture enables an article of this description to be readily carried in stock and instantly made adjustable for the width of any shoe to which it is desired to attach the same. Furthermore, by making the tubular or pivot-receiving portion integral with the flange-attaching portion, an extremely rigid and light-weight structure is produced, of a minimum thickness, together with ample strength and with but slight interference for the subselaps and, partly covers either the-flange or the tubular fixture portion.

, Referring to the drawing illustrating a preferred embodiment: I I I Fig. 1 is a side elevational view showing my improved universal type of fixture; r

Fig. 2 is an end view; I

Fig. 3 is a view of one-half the tubular member with the attaching flange shown in uppermostposition;

Fig. 4 is illustrative of the fixture separated in the middle and adjusted widthwise to a shoe,

and

Fig. 5 is a view showing the tubular member and attaching flange withthe' wings at each end normally employed to limit the oscillation of the attaching rods removed when desired for freer articulation.

As shown in Fig. 1, my improved device comprises a'tubular member I, formed of thin light steel, aluminum, or the like, to which is secured a pair of horizontal attaching flanges 2 and 3 adjacent the end portions of the tubular member I, which flanges are perforated at 55 to 4 7 receive rivets to secure the brace to the bottom of the shoe, rivets being usually employed .for this purpose and going thru the sole and insole of the shoe to which the fixture is attached. Also, I preferably'secure toeachend portion of the tubular member I a, plate l0 having upstanding wings II and I2.

These wings are extended outwardly beyond the end portion of the tubular member I and upwardly somewhat to constitute a stop or limit for the pivotal action of the brace rods l5, which rods each have a right-angled portion l6 extending into an adjacent part of the tube I and with the main portion extending upwardly to the leg brace. Thus, a limited articulation is permitted between the rods l5 and the shoe sole 20 to which the fixture and brace are attached, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 2.

With my fixture constructed as thus described, it can be readily fitted to the sole of a shoe by removing the heel and applying the plates 2 and 3 in contact with the outer sole 20 of the shoe, securing same rigidly in position by rivets 21 thru the holes 5 in the brace and thru the sole structure of the shoe.

Usually a slight recess of the edge portion of the shoe sole will permit a limited adjustment or range of fitting between the entire fixture and the shoe. But if the sole is wider than the length of the tube l between the plates Ill-l0, then the I quent attaching of the heel, Wh usually Overtubular member can be readily severed on the line this purpose my fixture can be readily sawedthru as indicated at 26, Fig. 1, thus resulting in the form as shown in Fig. 5.

While the attaching flanges 2 and 3 are'usually" of ample strength to hold the fixture and braces I i in position, it may be desired to add a further plate 30 underneath the flanges-2 and 3,*whichplate may be separately riveted-to the sole'struc-.

ture 20 by a series of rivets 3l--3l, and said plate being also perforated toreceive the rivets 2| thru the attaching flanges securedtothetubular mem* ber. Such a plate may'have openings 33 around the heel portion to receive heelfinails or rivets, as well as an open part35 to facilitate the'attachment of the heelto the shoe on top of the plate and fiange members. As-the attaching flanges 2 and -3 are of relatively thin steel or aluminum, theypresent but slight difiiculty to heel-attach ing, and the tubular member I being also relatively' thin, requires but slight cutting away of the heel at the heel brace'for fitting the heel'onto the shoe after the fixture has been riveted.

My-present invention is ofspecial value and importance at the present moment when many war veterans and injured arebeing'rehabilitat'ed by foot andleg braces, and wherein the prior practice of hammering out rough fixtures for each shoe by b lacksmith'methods involves difficulty, considerable time, and K adds, unnecessarily to the weight oi the; patientsshoe.

Bymeans of my present invention, shoe repair establishments anywhere throughout .thecountry can be fitted with my universal shoe fixture and the same can be instantly prepared, fitted; applied. and secured. to the wearer's shoe. By; sawing thru the tubularmem'ber as shownnat 2-5, a. ready adjustment for width. can be 'secured where this is necessary, and two sections can be sawed out, if necessary, to shorten the length of the tubular member, for example in children's footwear.

Also, the wings II can be similarly removed and a still further adjustment in special cases can be readily made where it is desired to limit the swinging movement of the press rods I5, for example, in a forward or rearward direction only. Thus, as shown in Fig. 2 at 40, the upper part of the wings I I or l2 can be readily severed, thus giving an unlimited swinging movement to the brace [5 in that direction, while limiting it in a reverse direction.

This added capability is of importance in special instances and still further renders my improved leg brace of universal adjustable use.

I claim:

V 1. A. universal fixture of the kind described for attachment to the sole structure of boots and shoes, which comprises an integral tubular member with right-angled attaching fianges,-said member being adapted for'severing in the middle portion-to permit widthwise addjustment o! the fixture to the shoe. I

2. Auniversal fixture of the kind described for attachment to the solestructure of boots and shoes, which comprises an integral tubular memher. with right-angled attaching flanges adjacent eachend portion of the tube, wherebythetube maybe severed in the middle portion, and each end portion individually secured to the shoe, irrespective of the wldthof the shoe. ,1 3. An. improved .fixture'of the kind described, adapted for pivotal attachment of brace-rods thereto; said fixture comprisinga tubular member,.aplurality of flanges integral therewith extending at right. angles to the length of the tubular'member, each fiangebeing intermediate the middle of the tube and anend; each end oithe tube .being formed with a vertically extending platecarrying: a pair of wings adapted to be spaced from and limiting'the oscillating movement of an attached brace rod, saidfixture being constructed and arranged for severing lengthwise to give adjustment for width on a shoe'and for removal of the end plate and wings.

NATHAN ROSENTHAL; 

